California Governor Gavin Newsom Urged to Protect Digital Tools for Small Business

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (June 11, 2020) – Business leaders in California today sent a letter to Governor Newsom urging continued support for online tools and digital platforms vital to preserving small business activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by the Connected Commerce Council (3C), the letter was signed by 457 California-based leaders representing a range of digitally empowered small businesses, including Mayahuel in Sacramento.

“Access to online tools enables websites, analytics, digital ads, online marketplaces, and e-commerce platforms to empower retailers, restaurants, service providers, and California small businesses of all types,” wrote California business leaders. “Now, more than ever, businesses and the Californians they serve benefit from the stability, scale, and security of these tools.”

Small business advocates also cautioned against ill-timed regulations and legal challenges that could disrupt technology options that have proven critical during the downturn.

“With storefronts closed across the country, the tools offered by companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have become vital economic lifelines for countless small business owners and entrepreneurs,” said 3C President Jake Ward. “We’re fortunate to have leaders like Governor Newsom who understand what it takes for California to compete in the digital economy, but we continue to see misguided anti-tech campaigns that create needless uncertainty for small businesses just working to stay afloat.”

“Online services have played an important role in my ability to serve my customers, assisting me in my ability to schedule and pay my employees and keep my doors open moving forward,” said Ernesto Delgado, owner of Mayahuel, La Cosecha, and Mesa Mercado restaurants in the Sacramento region.

“Social media and online ordering and booking systems have been invaluable tools in my effort to bring customers to and through our doors. I hope our elected leaders will recognize the role technology plays in keeping businesses like mine afloat during this crisis. We need policy decisions that will drive our economy and jobs forward, not reverse.”

A copy of the letter and a list of signers is available here.